A pioneering stem-cell trial has been halted after genetic mutations were discovered in the cells of the second trial participant. One of the mutations may carry a remote risk of cancer.
The trial is the first to explore whether a type of stem cell known as induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells can be used to treat disease. These are made by taking cells from a patient’s skin and “rewinding” them to a premature stem-cell state using a cocktail of growth factors. The cells can then be converted into the type of cell required, before being transplanted back into the patient.
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